Saudi-led planes hit Yemen rebels as gunfire kills five

The palace complex in the main southern city was President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s last refuge before he fled to neighbouring Saudi Arabia as the coalition air war began on March 26 and has been repeatedly targeted by air strikes.

Coalition aircraft also hit rebel positions and checkpoints at the entrances to Aden in the sorties that continued until 6:00 am, residents said.

Two civilians and three militiamen loyal to Hadi were killed by gunfire in the city, a medic said.

The Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies in army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh clashed with Hadi supporters in several neighbourhoods during the night, residents said.